Judge Wilson: Pheasant hunts were social, educational experiences

I met Billy Roy Wilson many years ago, when he gave me some quotes endorsing Ford Overton's appointment to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Wilson, who died Oct. 27 at 85, was Overton's lifelong mentor. He said, "Ford is so honest, I'd play craps with him over the phone."

From there, Wilson invited me into a close-knit circle that meets every year for a pheasant hunt in Gregory, S.D . There I met Greg Graham of Little Rock, Skip Henry of Little Rock, Tim Dudley of Little Rock and Coleson Bruce of Houston. Bruce had interned for Wilson, a federal judge. When his internship ended, Bruce and his mule sojourned across the Upper Midwest. Wilson was a devout muleskinner, and Bruce's adventure earned Wilson's undying admiration.

The pheasant hunt resulted from a deep bond between Wilson